Cotton cultivar L-1851

ABSTRACT

A cotton cultivar, designated L-1851, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of cotton cultivar L-1851, to the plants of cotton L-1851 and to methods for producing a cotton plant produced by crossing the cultivar L-1851 with itself or another cotton variety. The invention further relates to hybrid cotton seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar L-1851 with another cotton cultivar.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.)seed, a cotton plant, a cotton cultivar, and a cotton hybrid. Thisdisclosure further relates to a method for producing cotton seed andplants. All publications cited in this application are hereinincorporated by reference.

Cotton, including Gossypium hirsutum (Acala) and Gossypium barbadense(Pima), is an important and valuable field crop. Thus, a continuing goalof cotton plant breeders is to develop stable, high yielding cottoncultivars of both cotton species that are agronomically sound. Thereasons for this goal are to maximize the amount and quality of thefiber produced on the land used and to supply fiber, oil, and food foranimals and humans. To accomplish this goal, the cotton breeder mustselect and develop plants that have the traits that result in superiorcultivars.

The development of new cotton cultivars requires the evaluation andselection of parents and the crossing of these parents. The lack ofpredictable success of a given cross requires that a breeder, in anygiven year, make several crosses with the same or different breedingobjectives.

The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations relatedtherewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Otherlimitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill inthe art upon a reading of the specification.

SUMMARY

The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described inconjunction with systems, tools, and methods, which are meant to beexemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In variousembodiments, one or more of the above-described problems have beenreduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to otherimprovements.

One or more embodiments relate to a cotton seed, a cotton plant, acotton cultivar, and a method for producing a cotton plant.

One or more embodiments further relates to a method of producing cottonseeds and plants by crossing a plant of the instant invention withanother cotton plant.

One aspect of the present invention relates to seed of the cottonvariety L-1851. Another aspect also relates to plants produced bygrowing the seed of the cotton variety L-1851, as well as thederivatives of such plants. As used herein, the term “plant” includesplant cells, plant protoplasts, plant cells of a tissue culture fromwhich cotton plants can be regenerated, plant calli, plant clumps, andplant cells that are intact in plants or parts of plants, such aspollen, flowers, seeds, bolls, leaves, stems, and the like.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a tissue culture ofregenerable cells of the cotton variety L-1851, as well as plantsregenerated therefrom, wherein the regenerated cotton plant expressesall the physiological and morphological characteristics of a plant grownfrom the cotton seed designated L-1851.

Yet another aspect of the current invention is a cotton plant of thecotton variety L-1851 comprising at least a first transgene, wherein thecotton plant is otherwise capable of expressing all the physiologicaland morphological characteristics of the cotton variety L-1851. Inparticular, embodiments of the invention, a plant is provided thatcomprises a single locus conversion. A single locus conversion maycomprise a transgenic gene, which has been introduced by genetictransformation into the cotton variety L-1851 or a progenitor thereof. Atransgenic or non-transgenic single locus conversion can also beintroduced by backcrossing, as is well known in the art. In certainembodiments of the invention, the single locus conversion may comprise adominant or recessive allele. The locus conversion may conferpotentially any desired trait upon the plant as described herein.

Still yet, another aspect of the invention relates to a first generation(F₁) hybrid cotton seed produced by crossing a plant of the cottonvariety L-1851 to a second cotton plant. Also included in the inventionare the F₁ hybrid cotton plants grown from the hybrid seed produced bycrossing the cotton variety L-1851 to a second cotton plant. Stillfurther included in the invention are the seeds of an F₁ hybrid plantproduced with the cotton variety L-1851 as one parent, the secondgeneration (F₂) hybrid cotton plant grown from the seed of the F₁ hybridplant, and the seeds of the F₂ hybrid plant.

Still yet, another aspect of the invention is a method of producingcotton seeds comprising crossing a plant of the cotton variety L-1851 toany second cotton plant, including itself or another plant of thevariety L-1851. In particular, embodiments of the invention, the methodof crossing comprises the steps of: (a) planting seeds of the cottonvariety L-1851; (b) cultivating cotton plants resulting from said seedsuntil said plants bear flowers; (c) allowing fertilization of theflowers of said plants; and (d) harvesting seeds produced from saidplants.

Still yet another aspect of the invention is a method of producinghybrid cotton seeds comprising crossing the cotton variety L-1851 to asecond, distinct cotton plant which is nonisogenic to the cotton varietyL-1851. In particular embodiments of the invention, the crossingcomprises the steps of: (a) planting seeds of cotton variety L-1851 anda second, distinct cotton plant; (b) cultivating the cotton plants grownfrom the seeds until the plants bear flowers; (c) cross pollinating aflower on one of the two plants with the pollen of the other plant; and(d) harvesting the seeds resulting from the cross pollinating.

Still yet another aspect of the invention is a method for developing acotton plant in a cotton breeding program comprising: (a) obtaining acotton plant, or its parts, of the variety L-1851; and (b) employingsaid plant or parts as a source of breeding material using plantbreeding techniques. In the method, the plant breeding techniques may beselected from the group consisting of recurrent selection, massselection, bulk selection, backcrossing, pedigree breeding, geneticmarker-assisted selection, and genetic transformation. In certainembodiments of the invention, the cotton plant of variety L-1851 is usedas the male or female parent.

Still yet another aspect of the invention is a method of producing acotton plant derived from the cotton variety L-1851, the methodcomprising the steps of: (a) preparing a progeny plant derived fromcotton variety L-1851 by crossing a plant of the cotton variety L-1851with a second cotton plant; and (b) crossing the progeny plant withitself or a second plant to produce a progeny plant of a subsequentgeneration which is derived from a plant of the cotton variety L-1851.In one embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises: (c)crossing the progeny plant of a subsequent generation with itself or asecond plant; and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) for at least 2-10additional generations to produce an inbred cotton plant derived fromthe cotton variety L-1851. Also provided by the invention is a plantproduced by this and the other methods of the invention. Plant varietyL-1851-derived plants produced by this and the other methods of theinvention described herein may, in certain embodiments of the invention,be further defined as comprising the traits of plant variety L-1851given in Table 1.

The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term“comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” butit is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at least one,”and “one or more than one.”

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention maybecome apparent from the following detailed description. It should beunderstood, however, that the detailed description and the specificexamples, while indicating specific embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

In another aspect, the present invention provides regenerable cells foruse in tissue culture of cotton plant L-1851. The tissue culture may becapable of regenerating plants having the physiological andmorphological characteristics of the foregoing cotton plant, and ofregenerating plants having substantially the same genotype as theforegoing cotton plant. The regenerable cells in such tissue culturesmay be embryos, protoplasts, meristematic cells, callus, pollen, leaves,anthers, pistils, roots, root tips, flowers, seeds, or stems. Stillfurther, the present invention provides cotton plants regenerated fromthe tissue cultures of the invention.

In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above,further aspects and embodiments may become apparent by study of thefollowing descriptions.

DEFINITIONS

In the description and tables, which follow, a number of terms are used.In order to provide a clear and consistent understanding of thespecification and claims, including the scope to be given such terms,the following definitions are provided:

100 seeds. As used herein “100 seeds” is a measurement in grams of thetotal weight of one hundred seeds.

Allele. Allele is any of one or more alternative forms of a gene, all ofwhich relate to one trait or characteristic. In a diploid cell ororganism, the two alleles of a given gene occupy corresponding loci on apair of homologous chromosomes.

Backcrossing. Backcrossing is a process in which a breeder repeatedlycrosses hybrid progeny back to one of the parents, for example, a firstgeneration hybrid F₁ with one of the parental genotypes of the F₁hybrid.

Kleistogamia or cleistogamy. As used herein “Kleistogamia orcleistogamy” is a trait of certain plants to propagate by usingnon-opening, self-pollinating flowers.

Disease Resistance. As used herein, the term “disease resistance” isdefined as the ability of plants to restrict the activities of aspecified pest, such as an insect, fungus, virus, or bacterial.

Disease Tolerance. As used herein, the term “disease tolerance” isdefined as the ability of plants to endure a specified pest (such as aninsect, fungus, virus or bacteria) or an adverse environmental conditionand still perform and produce in spite of this disorder.

Essentially all of the physiological and morphological characteristics.Essentially all of the physiological and morphological characteristicsmeans a plant having essentially all of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of the recurrent parent, except for thecharacteristics derived from the converted trait.

Elongation (El). As used herein, the term “elongation” is defined as themeasure of elasticity of a bundle of fibers as measured by HVI.

Length (LEN). As used herein, the term “length” is defined as 2.5% spanlength in inches of fiber as measured by High Volume Instrumentation(HVI).

Fiber Strength (STR). As used herein, the term “fiber strength” isdefined as the force required to break a bundle of fibers as measured ingrams per millitex on the HVI.

Fiber Uniformity: Fiber uniformity index (UNIF) provides a relativemeasure of the length uniformity of cotton fibers. Uniformity iscalculated as the ratio of the average length of all fibers to theaverage length of the longest 50 percent of the fibers in the sample.High uniformity values indicate uniform fiber length distribution andare associated with a high-quality product and with low manufacturingwaste.

Fruiting Nodes. As used herein, the term “fruiting nodes” is defined asthe number of nodes on the main stem from which arise branches whichbear fruit or bolls.

Gin Turnout (GTO). As used herein, the term “gin turnout” is defined asa fraction of lint in a machine harvested sample of seed cotton (lint,seed, and trash).

Lint/Boll. As used herein, the term “lint/boll” is the weight of lintper boll.

Lint Index. As used herein, the term “lint index” refers to the weightof lint per seed in milligrams.

Lint Percent. As used herein, the term “lint percent” is defined as thelint (fiber) fraction of seed cotton (lint and seed). Also known as lintturnout.

Lint Yield. As used herein, the term “lint yield” is defined as themeasure of the quantity of fiber produced on a given unit of land.Presented below in pounds of lint per acre.

Maturity. As used herein, the term “maturity” is defined as the HVImachine rating which refers to the degree of development of thickeningof the fiber cell wall relative to the perimeter or effective diameterof the fiber.

Maturity Rating (MAT). As used herein, the term “maturity rating” isdefined as a visual rating of plants of a variety, when 50% of allplants in two middle rows have at least one open boll.

Micronaire (MIC). As used herein, the term “micronaire” is defined as ameasure of the fineness of the fiber. Within a cotton cultivar,micronaire is also a measure of maturity. Micronaire differences aregoverned by changes in perimeter or in cell wall thickness, or bychanges in both. Within a cultivar, cotton perimeter is fairly constantand maturity will cause a change in micronaire. Consequently, micronairehas a high correlation with maturity within a variety of cotton.Maturity is the degree of development of cell wall thickness. Micronairemay not have a good correlation with maturity between varieties ofcotton having different fiber perimeter. Micronaire values range fromabout 2.0 to 6.0:

Below 2.9 Very fine Possible small perimeter but mature (good fiber), orlarge perimeter but immature (bad fiber). 2.9 to 3.7 Fine Variousdegrees of maturity and/or perimeter. 3.8 to 4.6 Average Average degreeof maturity and/or perimeter. 4.7 to 5.5 Coarse Usually fully-developed(mature), but larger perimeter. 5.6+ Very coarse Fully-developed,large-perimeter fiber.

Plant Height. As used herein, the term “plant height” is defined as theaverage height in inches or centimeters of a group of plants.

Seed/boll. As used herein, the term “seed/boll” refers to the number ofseeds per boll.

Weight of boll (BOLL). As used herein, the term “weight of boll” refersto the weight of a cotton boll in grams.

Single Trait Converted (Conversion). Single trait converted (conversion)plant refers to plants which are developed by a plant breeding techniquecalled backcrossing or via genetic engineering wherein essentially allof the desired morphological and physiological characteristics of avariety are recovered in addition to the single trait transferred intothe variety via the backcrossing technique or via genetic engineering.

Stremma (strm). As used herein, the term “stremma” is defined as 1/10 ofa hectare.

Vegetative Nodes. As used herein, the term “vegetative nodes” is definedas the number of nodes from the cotyledonary node to the first fruitingbranch on the main stem of the plant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Cotton cultivar L-1851 is a Gossypium barbadense L. cotton variety,which has shown uniformity and stability, as described in the followingVariety Description Information. It has been self-pollinated asufficient number of generations with careful attention to uniformity ofplant type. The cultivar has been increased with continued observationto uniformity.

Cotton cultivar L-1851 has the following morphologic and othercharacteristics from data taken in the Thiva region of Greece.

TABLE 1 VARIETY DESCRIPTION INFORMATION Species: Gossypium barbadense L.Cultivar name: L-1851 General: Plant Habit: Columnar Plant height: 80 cmto 90 cm Foliage: Medium Stem Lodging: Resistant Fruiting Branch: None(bolls emerge directly from the main stem) Growth (Determinate orIndeterminate): Indeterminate Leaf Color: Dark Green Boll Shape: OvateMaturity: Date of 50% open bolls: 105 days Plant: Centimeters to 1^(st)Fruiting Branch (from cotyledonary node): 8 cm to 10 cm Number of nodesto 1^(st) Fruiting Branch (excluding cotyledonary node): 4 to 5 MaturePlant Height (from cotyledonary node to terminal): 70 cm to 80 cm Leaf(Upper-most, fully expanded leaf): Type: Palmate to digitate Pubescence:Medium Nectaries: Present Glands: Leaf: Present Bract size: LargeFlower: Petals (color): Yellow Pollen (color): Dark Yellow Petal Spot:Medium Seed: Seed Index: 12.4 gr Boll: Gin turnout: 36.3% Grams SeedCotton per Boll: 3.7 Number of Locules per Boll: 3 to 4 FiberProperties: Method (HVI or other): HVI Length (inches, 2.5% SL): 1.35Uniformity(%): 86.2 Strength(g/tex): 38.5 Elongation(%): 5.7 Micronaire:4.1

The performance characteristics of cotton cultivar L-1851 were alsoanalyzed, as shown in Table 2, Table 3 and Table 4. In Table 2, Table 3,and Table 4, L-1851 was tested with commercial cotton lines 856-1 (U.S.Pat. No. 8,138,396), L-9009-6 (U.S. Pat. No. 8,106,272), L-1000 (U.S.Pat. No. 8,106,271), COBALT and PHY 800. Tests were conducted on foursites in the Thiva region of Greece with a sowing date of May 22, 2011on randomly located sites, with a distance between rows of 98 cm withone plot of four rows per 10 meters each. The plant to plant distancewas 20 cm. Sowing was by manual sowing machine and picking two middlerows by hand. Irrigation was by irrigation boom and the sites wereirrigated on May 25, 2011, Jul. 7, 2011, Jul. 19, 2011, Aug. 1, 2011 andAug. 16, 2011. A N15, P15, and K15 type fertilizer was applied on May19, 2011 at a rate of 300 kg/hectare. A N16 and P20 type fertilizer wasapplied on Jul. 3, 2011 at a rate of 300 kg/hectare. A cotorane typepesticide was applied on May 22, 2011.

Twenty-five mature open bolls per replication and per variety wererandomly selected to test them for HVI test. Hand picking of cotton fromtwo middle rows per replication and per variety. The collected cottonwas weighed separately to estimate the total yield.

In Table 2, the first column shows the variety name. Column two showstotal yield results in kilograms per stremma (kg/strm) for the testedvarieties at the four test sites. Column three shows the total lintyield in kilograms per stremma (kg/strm) for the tested varieties at thefour test sites. Column four shows the gin turn out percentage (GTO) forthe tested varieties at the four test sites. Column five shows theweight of a boll in grams (BOLL) for the tested varieties at the fourtest sites.

TABLE 2 YIELD LINT YIELD GTO BOLL VARIETY (kg/strm) (kg/strm) (%) (gr)L-1851 2868 1050 36.7 3.7 856-1 3079 1340 43.3 3.4 L-9009-6 3079 122739.7 3.5 L-1000 2757 1089 39.3 3.7 COBALT 1822 723 39.6 3.6 PHY 800 908370 40.7 3.5

In Table 3, the first column shows the variety name. Column two showsthe weight of 100 seeds in grams for the tested varieties for foursites. Column three shows the average number of seeds per bolls for thetested varieties for four sites. Column four shows the fiber length(LEN) in millimeters for the tested varieties at for four sites. Columnfive shows fiber strength (STR) for the varieties tested at the foursites.

TABLE 3 100 SEEDS NO. SEEDS LEN VARIETY WEIGHT (gr) PER BOLL (mm) STRL-1851 12.9 19.0 34.5 38.5 856-1 10.3 19.3 31.6 35.5 L-9009-6 10.2 21.534.3 38.0 L-1000 13.0 18.5 34.4 39.8 COBALT 12.6 18.3 34.5 44.6 PHY 80014.8 15.6 35.2 45.6

In Table 4, the first column shows the variety name. Column two showsthe micronaire (MIC) for the varieties tested at the four sites. Columnthree shows the fiber uniformity (UNIF) for the varieties tested at thefour sites. Column four shows the fiber elongation (ELONG) for thevarieties tested at the four sites. Column five shows the maturity indays (MAT) for the varieties tested at the four sites. Column six showsthe Upland Cotton color grade based on the United States Department ofAgriculture Agricultural Marketing Service Cotton Program, CottonClassification, 2005.

TABLE 4 MAT VARIETY MIC UNIF ELONG (days) C-GRADE L-1851 4.1 86.2 5.7105.0 21-1/32-1 856-1 3.7 84.4 5.5 107.5 32-1/32-1 L-9009-6 3.8 85.4 5.9103.0 21-1/31-3 L-1000 4.1 86.1 6.0 104.0 22-2/32-1 COBALT 3.8 87.9 5.0115.5 33-1/33-3 PHY 800 3.8 87.7 4.9 124.0 33-1/33-1

An embodiment of the invention is also directed to methods for producinga cotton plant by crossing a first parent cotton plant with a secondparent cotton plant, wherein the first or second cotton plant is thecotton plant from the cultivar L-1851. Further, both the first andsecond parent cotton plants may be the cultivar L-1851 (e.g.,self-pollination). Therefore, any methods using the cultivar L-1851 arepart of this invention: selling, backcrosses, hybrid breeding, andcrosses to populations. Any plants produced using cultivar L-1851 asparents are within the scope of this invention. As used herein, the term“plant” includes plant cells, plant protoplasts, plant cells of tissueculture from which cotton plants can be regenerated, plant calli, plantclumps, and plant cells that are intact in plants or parts of plants,such as pollen, flowers, embryos, ovules, seeds, leaves, stems, roots,anthers, pistils, and the like. Thus, another aspect of this inventionis to provide for cells, which upon growth and differentiation produce acultivar having essentially all of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of L-1851.

An embodiment of the invention contemplates a cotton plant regeneratedfrom a tissue culture of a cultivar (e.g., L-1851) or hybrid plant ofthe present invention. As is well known in the art, tissue culture ofcotton can be used for the in vitro regeneration of a cotton plant.Tissue culture of various tissues of cotton and regeneration of plantstherefrom is well known and widely published.

There are numerous steps in the development of any desirable plantgermplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definition ofproblems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishment ofprogram goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives. Thenext step is selection of geimplasm that possess the traits to meet theprogram goals. The goal is to combine in a single cultivar an improvedcombination of desirable traits from the parental germplasm. In cotton,the important traits include higher fiber (lint) yield, earliermaturity, improved fiber quality, resistance to diseases and insects,resistance to drought and heat, and improved agronomic traits.

Choice of breeding or selection methods depends on the mode of plantreproduction, the heritability of the trait(s) being improved, and thetype of cultivar used commercially (e.g., F₁ hybrid cultivar, purelinecultivar, etc.). For highly heritable traits, a choice of superiorindividual plants evaluated at a single location will be effective,whereas for traits with low heritability, selection should be based onmean values obtained from replicated evaluations of families of relatedplants. Popular selection methods commonly include pedigree selection,modified pedigree selection, mass selection, and recurrent selection.

The complexity of inheritance influences choice of the breeding method.Backcross breeding is used to transfer one or a few favorable genes fora highly heritable trait into a desirable cultivar. This approach hasbeen used extensively for breeding disease-resistant cultivars. Variousrecurrent selection techniques are used to improve quantitativelyinherited traits controlled by numerous genes. The use of recurrentselection in self-pollinating crops depends on the ease of pollination,the frequency of successful hybrids from each pollination, and thenumber of hybrid offspring from each successful cross.

Each breeding program should include a periodic, objective evaluation ofthe efficiency of the breeding procedure. Evaluation criteria varydepending on the goal and objectives, but should include gain fromselection per year based on comparisons to an appropriate standard,overall value of the advanced breeding lines, and number of successfulcultivars produced per unit of input (e.g., per year, per dollarexpended, etc.).

Promising advanced breeding lines are thoroughly tested and compared topopular cultivars in environments representative of the commercialtarget area(s) for three or more years. The lines having superiorityover the popular cultivars are candidates to become new commercialcultivars. Those lines still deficient in a few traits are discarded orutilized as parents to produce new populations for further selection.

These processes, which lead to the final step of marketing anddistribution, usually take from seven to twelve years from the time thefirst cross is made. Therefore, development of new cultivars is atime-consuming process that requires precise forward planning, efficientuse of resources, and a minimum of changes in direction.

A most difficult task is the identification of individuals that aregenetically superior because for most traits the true genotypic value ismasked by other confounding plant traits or environmental factors. Onemethod of identifying a superior plant is to observe its performancerelative to other experimental lines and widely grown standardcultivars. For many traits a single observation is inconclusive, andreplicated observations over time and space are required to provide agood estimate of a line's genetic worth.

The goal of a commercial cotton breeding program is to develop new,unique, and superior cotton cultivars. The breeder initially selects andcrosses two or more parental lines, followed by generation advancementand selection, thus producing many new genetic combinations. The breedercan theoretically generate billions of different genetic combinationsvia this procedure. The breeder has no direct control over which geneticcombinations will arise in the limited population size which is grown.Therefore, two breeders will never develop the same line having the sametraits.

Each year, the plant breeder selects the germplasm to advance to thenext generation. This germplasm is grown under unique and differentgeographical, climatic, and soil conditions, and further selections arethen made, during and at the end of the growing season. The lines whichare developed are unpredictable. This unpredictability is because thebreeder's selection occurs in unique environments, with no control atthe DNA level (using conventional breeding procedures), and withmillions of different possible genetic combinations being generated. Abreeder of ordinary skill in the art cannot predict the final resultinglines he develops, except possibly in a very gross and general fashion.The same breeder cannot produce, with any reasonable likelihood, thesame cultivar twice by using the exact same original parents and thesame selection techniques. This unpredictability results in theexpenditure of large amounts of research moneys to develop superior newcotton cultivars.

Pureline cultivars of cotton are commonly bred by hybridization of twoor more parents followed by selection. The complexity of inheritance,the breeding objectives, and the available resources influence thebreeding method. Pedigree breeding, recurrent selection breeding, andbackcross breeding are breeding methods commonly used in self-pollinatedcrops such as cotton. These methods refer to the manner in whichbreeding pools or populations are made in order to combine desirabletraits from two or more cultivars or various broad-based sources. Theprocedures commonly used for selection of desirable individuals orpopulations of individuals are called mass selection, plant-to-rowselection, and single seed descent or modified single seed descent. One,or a combination of, these selection methods can be used in thedevelopment of a cultivar from a breeding population.

Pedigree breeding is primarily used to combine favorable genes into atotally new cultivar that is different in many traits than either parentused in the original cross. It is commonly used for the improvement ofself-pollinating crops. Two parents which possess favorable,complementary traits are crossed to produce an F₁ (filial generation 1).An F₂ population is produced by selfing F₂ plants. Selection ofdesirable individual plants may begin as early as the F₂ generationwherein maximum gene segregation occurs. Individual plant selection canoccur for one or more generations. Successively, seed from each selectedplant can be planted in individual, identified rows or hills, known asprogeny rows or progeny hills, to evaluate the line and to increase theseed quantity, or to further select individual plants. Once a progenyrow or progeny hill is selected as having desirable traits, it becomeswhat is known as a breeding line that is specifically identifiable fromother breeding lines that were derived from the same originalpopulation. At an advanced generation (i.e., F₅ or higher) seed ofindividual lines are evaluated in replicated testing. At an advancedstage the best lines or a mixture of phenotypically similar lines fromthe same original cross are tested for potential release as newcultivars.

The single seed descent procedure in the strict sense refers to plantinga segregating population, harvesting one seed from every plant, andcombining these seeds into a bulk, which is planted the next generation.When the population has been advanced to the desired level ofinbreeding, the plants from which lines are derived will each trace todifferent F₂ individuals. Primary advantages of the seed descentprocedures are to delay selection until a high level of homozygosity(e.g., lack of gene segregation) is achieved in individual plants, andto move through these early generations quickly, usually through usingwinter nurseries.

The modified single seed descent procedures involve harvesting multipleseed (i.e., a single lock or a simple boll) from each plant in apopulation and combining them to form a bulk. Part of the bulk is usedto plant the next generation and part is put in reserve. This procedurehas been used to save labor at harvest and to maintain adequate seedquantities of the population.

Selection for desirable traits can occur at any segregating generation(F₂ and above). Selection pressure is exerted on a population by growingthe population in an environment where the desired trait is maximallyexpressed and the individuals or lines possessing the trait can beidentified. For instance, selection can occur for disease resistancewhen the plants or lines are grown in natural or artificially-induceddisease environments, and the breeder selects only those individualshaving little or no disease and are thus assumed to be resistant.

In addition to phenotypic observations, the genotype of a plant can alsobe examined. There are many laboratory-based techniques available forthe analysis, comparison, and characterization of plant genotype. Amongthese are Isozyme Electrophoresis, Restriction Fragment LengthPolymorphisms (RFLPs), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs),Arbitrarily Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR), DNA AmplificationFingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCARs),Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs), Simple Sequence Repeats(SSRs—which are also referred to as Microsatellites), and SingleNucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs).

Isozyme Electrophoresis and RFLPs have been widely used to determinegenetic composition. Shoemaker and Olsen, (Molecular Linkage Map ofSoybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) pp. 6.131-6.138 in S. J. O'Brien (Ed.)Genetic Maps: Locus Maps of Complex Genomes, Cold Spring HarborLaboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., (1993)) developed amolecular genetic linkage map that consisted of 25 linkage groups withabout 365 RFLP, 11 RAPD, three classical markers, and four isozyme loci.See also, Shoemaker, R. C., RFLP Map of Soybean, pp. 299-309, inPhillips, R. L. and Vasil, I. K. (Eds.), DNA-Based Markers in Plants,Kluwer Academic Press, Dordrecht, the Netherlands (1994).

SSR technology is currently the most efficient and practical markertechnology; more marker loci can be routinely used and more alleles permarker locus can be found using SSRs in comparison to RFLPs. Forexample, Diwan and Cregan described a highly polymorphic microsatellitelocus in soybean with as many as 26 alleles. Diwan, N. and Cregan, P.B., Theor. Appl. Genet., 95:22-225 (1997). SNPs may also be used toidentify the unique genetic composition of the invention and progenyvarieties retaining that unique genetic composition. Various molecularmarker techniques may be used in combination to enhance overallresolution.

Molecular markers, which includes markers identified through the use oftechniques such as Isozyme Electrophoresis, RFLPs, RAPDs, AP-PCR, DAF,SCARs, AFLPs, SSRs, and SNPs, may be used in plant breeding. One use ofmolecular markers is Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) mapping. QTL mappingis the use of markers which are known to be closely linked to allelesthat have measurable effects on a quantitative trait. Selection in thebreeding process is based upon the accumulation of markers linked to thepositive effecting alleles and/or the elimination of the markers linkedto the negative effecting alleles from the plant's genome.

Molecular markers can also be used during the breeding process for theselection of qualitative traits. For example, markers closely linked toalleles or markers containing sequences within the actual alleles ofinterest can be used to select plants that contain the alleles ofinterest during a backcrossing breeding program. For example, molecularmarkers are used in soybean breeding for selection of the trait ofresistance to soybean cyst nematode, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,967. Themarkers can also be used to select toward the genome of the recurrentparent and against the markers of the donor parent. Using this procedurecan attempt to minimize the amount of genome from the donor parent thatremains in the selected plants. It can also be used to reduce the numberof crosses back to the recurrent parent needed in a backcrossingprogram. The use of molecular markers in the selection process is oftencalled Genetic Marker Enhanced Selection. Molecular markers may also beused to identify and exclude certain sources of germplasm as parentalvarieties or ancestors of a plant by providing a means of trackinggenetic profiles through crosses as discussed more fully hereinafter.

Mutation breeding is another method of introducing new traits intocotton varieties. Mutations that occur spontaneously or are artificiallyinduced can be useful sources of variability for a plant breeder. Thegoal of artificial mutagenesis is to increase the rate of mutation for adesired characteristic. Mutation rates can be increased by manydifferent means including temperature, long-term seed storage, tissueculture conditions, radiation (such as X-rays, Gamma rays, neutrons,Beta radiation, or ultraviolet radiation), chemical mutagens (such asbase analogues like 5-bromo-uracil), antibiotics, alkylating agents(such as sulfur mustards, nitrogen mustards, epoxides, ethyleneamines,sulfates, sulfonates, sulfones, or lactones), azide, hydroxylamine,nitrous acid, or acridines. Once a desired trait is observed throughmutagenesis the trait may then be incorporated into existing germplasmby traditional breeding techniques. Details of mutation breeding can befound in Principles of Cultivar Development by Fehr, MacmillanPublishing Company (1993).

The production of double haploids can also be used for the developmentof homozygous varieties in a breeding program. Double haploids areproduced by the doubling of a set of chromosomes from a heterozygousplant to produce a completely homozygous individual. For example, seeWan, et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 77:889-892 (1989).

Descriptions of other breeding methods that are commonly used fordifferent traits and crops can be found in one of several referencebooks (e.g., Allard (1960); Simmonds (1979); Sneep, et al. (1979); Fehr(1987)).

Proper testing should detect any major faults and establish the level ofsuperiority or improvement over current cultivars. In addition toshowing superior performance, there must be a demand for a new cultivarthat is compatible with industry standards or which creates a newmarket. The introduction of a new cultivar will incur additional coststo the seed producer, and to the grower, processor, and consumer, forspecial advertising, marketing and commercial production practices, andnew product utilization. The testing preceding the release of a newcultivar should take into consideration research and development costsas well as technical superiority of the final cultivar. Forseed-propagated cultivars, it must be feasible to produce seed easilyand economically.

The cotton flower is monoecious in that the male and female structuresare in the same flower. The crossed or hybrid seed is produced by manualcrosses between selected parents. Floral buds of the parent that is tobe the female are emasculated prior to the opening of the flower bymanual removal of the male anthers. At flowering, the pollen fromflowers of the parent plants designated as male, are manually placed onthe stigma of the previous emasculated flower. Seed developed from thecross is known as first generation (F₁) hybrid seed. Planting of thisseed produces F₁ hybrid plants of which half their genetic component isfrom the female parent and half from the male parent. Segregation ofgenes begins at meiosis thus producing second generation (F₂) seed.Assuming multiple genetic differences between the original parents, eachF₂ seed has a unique combination of genes.

Further Embodiments

With the advent of molecular biological techniques that have allowed theisolation and characterization of genes that encode specific proteinproducts, scientists in the field of plant biology developed a stronginterest in engineering the genome of plants to contain and expressforeign genes, or additional, or modified versions of native, orendogenous, genes (perhaps driven by different promoters) in order toalter the traits of a plant in a specific manner. Such foreignadditional and/or modified genes are referred to herein collectively as“transgenes.” Over the last fifteen to twenty years several methods forproducing transgenic plants have been developed, and the presentinvention, in particular embodiments, also relates to transformedversions of the claimed cultivar.

Plant transformation involves the construction of an expression vectorwhich will function in plant cells. Such a vector comprises DNAcomprising a gene under control of or operatively linked to a regulatoryelement (for example, a promoter). The expression vector may contain oneor more such operably linked gene/regulatory element combinations. Thevector(s) may be in the form of a plasmid, and can be used alone or incombination with other plasmids, to provide transformed cotton plants,using transformation methods as described below to incorporatetransgenes into the genetic material of the cotton plant(s).

Expression Vectors for Cotton Transformation: Marker Genes

Expression vectors include at least one genetic marker operably linkedto a regulatory element (for example, a promoter) that allowstransformed cells containing the marker to be either recovered bynegative selection (i e, inhibiting growth of cells that do not containthe selectable marker gene), or by positive selection (i.e., screeningfor the product encoded by the genetic marker). Many commonly usedselectable marker genes for plant transformation are well known in thetransformation arts, and include, for example, genes that code forenzymes that metabolically detoxify a selective chemical agent which maybe an antibiotic or an herbicide, or genes that encode an altered targetwhich is insensitive to the inhibitor. A few positive selection methodsare also known in the art.

One commonly used selectable marker gene for plant transformation is theneomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII), which, when under the control ofplant regulatory signals, confers resistance to kanamycin. Fraley, etal., PNAS, 80:4803 (1983). Another commonly used selectable marker geneis the hygromycin phosphotransferase gene which confers resistance tothe antibiotic hygromycin. Vanden Elzen, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 5:299(1985).

Additional selectable marker genes of bacterial origin that conferresistance to antibiotics include gentamycin acetyl transferase,streptomycin phosphotransferase, and aminoglycoside-3′-adenyltransferase, the bleomycin resistance determinant. Hayford, et al.,Plant Physiol., 86:1216 (1988); Jones, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 210:86(1987); Svab, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 14:197 (1990); Hille, et al.,Plant Mol. Biol., 7:171 (1986). Other selectable marker genes conferresistance to herbicides such as glyphosate, glufosinate, or bromoxynil.Comai, et al., Nature, 317:741-744 (1985); Gordon-Kamm, et al., PlantCell, 2:603-618 (1990); and Stalker, et al., Science, 242:419-423(1988).

Other selectable marker genes for plant transformation that are not ofbacterial origin include, for example, mouse dihydrofolate reductase,plant 5-enolpyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthase and plantacetolactate synthase. Eichholtz, et al., Somatic Cell Mol. Genet.,13:67 (1987); Shah, et al., Science, 233:478 (1986); Charest, et al.,Plant Cell Rep., 8:643 (1990).

Another class of marker genes for plant transformation requiresscreening of presumptively transformed plant cells rather than directgenetic selection of transformed cells for resistance to a toxicsubstance such as an antibiotic. These genes are particularly useful toquantify or visualize the spatial pattern of expression of a gene inspecific tissues and are frequently referred to as reporter genesbecause they can be fused to a gene or gene regulatory sequence for theinvestigation of gene expression. Commonly used genes for screeningpresumptively transformed cells include β-glucuronidase (GUS),β-galactosidase, luciferase, and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase.Jefferson, R. A., Plant Mol. Biol. Rep., 5:387 (1987); Teeri, et al.,EMBO J., 8:343 (1989); Koncz, et al., PNAS, 84:131 (1987); DeBlock, etal., EMBO J. 3:1681 (1984).

In vivo methods for visualizing GUS activity that do not requiredestruction of plant tissue are available. Molecular Probes Publication2908, IMAGENE GREEN, pp. 1-4 (1993) and Naleway, et al., J. Cell Biol.,115:151a (1991). However, these in vivo methods for visualizing GUSactivity have not proven useful for recovery of transformed cellsbecause of low sensitivity, high fluorescent backgrounds, andlimitations associated with the use of luciferase genes as selectablemarkers.

More recently, a gene encoding Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) has beenutilized as a marker for gene expression in prokaryotic and eukaryoticcells. Chalfie, et al., Science, 263:802 (1994). GFP and mutants of GFPmay be used as screenable markers

Expression Vectors for Cotton Transformation: Promoters

Genes included in expression vectors must be driven by a nucleotidesequence comprising a regulatory element (for example, a promoter).Several types of promoters are now well known in the transformationarts, as are other regulatory elements that can be used alone or incombination with promoters.

As used herein, “promoter” includes reference to a region of DNAupstream from the start of transcription and involved in recognition andbinding of RNA polymerase and other proteins to initiate transcription.A “plant promoter” is a promoter capable of initiating transcription inplant cells. Examples of promoters under developmental control includepromoters that preferentially initiate transcription in certain tissues,such as leaves, roots, seeds, fibers, xylem vessels, tracheids, orsclerenchyma. Such promoters are referred to as “tissue-preferred.”Promoters which initiate transcription only in certain tissue arereferred to as “tissue-specific.” A “cell type” specific promoterprimarily drives expression in certain cell types in one or more organs,for example, vascular cells in roots or leaves. An “inducible” promoteris a promoter which is under environmental control. Examples ofenvironmental conditions that may affect transcription by induciblepromoters include anaerobic conditions or the presence of light.Tissue-specific, tissue-preferred, cell type specific, and induciblepromoters constitute the class of “non-constitutive” promoters. A“constitutive” promoter is a promoter which is active under mostenvironmental conditions.

A. Inducible Promoters:

An inducible promoter is operably linked to a gene for expression incotton. Optionally, the inducible promoter is operably linked to anucleotide sequence encoding a signal sequence which is operably linkedto a gene for expression in cotton. With an inducible promoter the rateof transcription increases in response to an inducing agent.

Any inducible promoter can be used in the instant invention. See Ward,et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 22:361-366 (1993). Exemplary induciblepromoters include, but are not limited to, that from the ACEI systemwhich responds to copper (Mett, et al., PNAS, 90:4567-4571 (1993)); In2gene from maize which responds to benzenesulfonamide herbicide safeners(Hershey, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 227:229-237 (1991) and Gatz, et al.,Mol. Gen. Genet., 243:32-38 (1994)); or Tet repressor from Tn10 (Gatz,et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 227:229-237 (1991)). A particularly preferredinducible promoter is a promoter that responds to an inducing agent towhich plants do not normally respond. An exemplary inducible promoter isthe inducible promoter from a steroid hormone gene, the transcriptionalactivity of which is induced by a glucocorticosteroid hormone (Schena,et al., PNAS, 88:0421 (1991)).

B. Constitutive Promoters:

A constitutive promoter is operably linked to a gene for expression incotton or the constitutive promoter is operably linked to a nucleotidesequence encoding a signal sequence which is operably linked to a genefor expression in cotton.

Many different constitutive promoters can be utilized in the instantinvention. Exemplary constitutive promoters include, but are not limitedto, the promoters from plant viruses such as the 35S promoter from CaMV(Odell, et al., Nature, 313:810-812 (1985)) and the promoters from suchgenes as rice actin (McElroy, et al., Plant Cell, 2:163-171 (1990));ubiquitin (Christensen, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 12:619-632 (1989) andChristensen, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 18:675-689 (1992)); pEMU (Last,et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 81:581-588 (1991)); MAS (Velten, et al.,EMBO J., 3:2723-2730 (1984)); and maize H3 histone (Lepetit, et al.,Mol. Gen. Genet., 231:276-285 (1992) and Atanassova, et al., PlantJournal, 2 (3): 291-300 (1992)).

The ALS promoter, XbaI/NcoI fragment 5′ to the Brassica napus ALS3structural gene (or a nucleotide sequence similarity to said XbaI/NcoIfragment), represents a particularly useful constitutive promoter. SeePCT Application No. WO 96/30530.

C. Tissue-Specific or Tissue-Preferred Promoters:

A tissue-specific promoter is operably linked to a gene for expressionin cotton. Optionally, the tissue-specific promoter is operably linkedto a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal sequence which is operablylinked to a gene for expression in cotton. Plants transformed with agene of interest operably linked to a tissue-specific promoter producethe protein product of the transgene exclusively, or preferentially, ina specific tissue.

Any tissue-specific or tissue-preferred promoter can be utilized in theinstant invention. Exemplary tissue-specific or tissue-preferredpromoters include, but are not limited to, a root-preferred promoter,such as that from the phaseolin gene (Murai, et al., Science, 23:476-482(1983) and Sengupta-Gopalan, et al., PNAS, 82:3320-3324 (1985)); aleaf-specific and light-induced promoter, such as that from cab orrubisco (Simpson, et al., EMBO J., 4(11):2723-2729 (1985) and Timko, etal., Nature, 318:579-582 (1985)); an anther-specific promoter, such asthat from LAT52 (Twell, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 217:240-245 (1989)); apollen-specific promoter, such as that from Zm13 (Guerrero, et al., Mol.Gen. Genet., 244:161-168 (1993)); or a microspore-preferred promoter,such as that from apg (Twell, et al., Sex. Plant Reprod., 6:217-224(1993)).

Signal Sequences for Targeting Proteins to Subcellular Compartments

Transport of protein produced by transgenes to a subcellularcompartment, such as the chloroplast, vacuole, peroxisome, glyoxysome,cell wall, or mitochondrion, or for secretion into the apoplast, isaccomplished by means of operably linking the nucleotide sequenceencoding a signal sequence to the 5′ and/or 3′ region of a gene encodingthe protein of interest. Targeting sequences at the 5′ and/or 3′ end ofthe structural gene may determine, during protein synthesis andprocessing, where the encoded protein is ultimately compartmentalized.

The presence of a signal sequence directs a polypeptide to either anintracellular organelle or subcellular compartment or for secretion tothe apoplast. Many signal sequences are known in the art. See, forexample, Becker, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 20:49 (1992); Close, P. S.,Master's Thesis, Iowa State University (1993); Knox, C., et al., PlantMol. Biol., 9:3-17 (1987); Lerner, et al., Plant Physiol., 91:124-129(1989); Fontes, et al., Plant Cell, 3:483-496 (1991); Matsuoka, et al.,PNAS, 88:834 (1991); Gould, et al., J. Cell. Biol., 108:1657 (1989);Creissen, et al., Plant J., 2:129 (1991); Kalderon, et al., Cell,39:499-509 (1984); Steifel, et al., Plant Cell, 2:785-793 (1990).

Foreign Protein Genes and Agronomic Genes

With transgenic plants according to the present invention, a foreignprotein can be produced in commercial quantities. Thus, techniques forthe selection and propagation of transformed plants, which are wellunderstood in the art, yield a plurality of transgenic plants which areharvested in a conventional manner, and a foreign protein then can beextracted from a tissue of interest or from total biomass. Proteinextraction from plant biomass can be accomplished by known methods whichare discussed, for example, by Heney and Orr, Anal. Biochem., 114:92-6(1981).

According to an embodiment, the transgenic plant provided for commercialproduction of foreign protein is a cotton plant. In another embodiment,the biomass of interest is seed. For the relatively small number oftransgenic plants that show higher levels of expression, a genetic mapcan be generated, primarily via conventional RFLP, PCR, and SSRanalysis, which identifies the approximate chromosomal location of theintegrated DNA molecule. For exemplary methodologies in this regard, seeGlick and Thompson, Methods in Plant Molecular Biology andBiotechnology, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1851:284 (1993). Map informationconcerning chromosomal location is useful for proprietary protection ofa subject transgenic plant. If unauthorized propagation is undertakenand crosses made with other germplasm, the map of the integration regioncan be compared to similar maps for suspect plants, to determine if thelatter have a common parentage with the subject plant. Map comparisonswould involve hybridizations, RFLP, PCR, SSR and sequencing, all ofwhich are conventional techniques.

Likewise, agronomic genes can be expressed in transformed plants. Moreparticularly, plants can be genetically engineered to express variousphenotypes of agronomic interest. Exemplary genes implicated in thisregard include, but are not limited to, those categorized below:

A. Genes that Confer Resistance to Pests or Disease and that Encode:

1. Plant disease resistance genes. Plant defenses are often activated byspecific interaction between the product of a disease resistance gene(R) in the plant and the product of a corresponding avirulence (Avr)gene in the pathogen. A plant variety can be transformed with clonedresistance gene to engineer plants that are resistant to specificpathogen strains. See, for example, Jones, et al., Science, 266:789(1994) (cloning of the tomato Cf-9 gene for resistance to Cladosporiumfulvum); Martin, et al., Science, 262:1432 (1993) (tomato Pto gene forresistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato encodes a protein kinase);Mindrinos, et al., Cell, 78:1089 (1994) (Arabidopsis RSP2 gene forresistance to Pseudomonas syringae).

2. A gene conferring resistance to a pest, such as nematodes. See, e.g.,PCT Application No. WO 96/30517; PCT Application No. WO 93/19181.

3. A Bacillus thuringiensis protein, a derivative thereof or a syntheticpolypeptide modeled thereon. See, for example, Geiser, et al., Gene,48:109 (1986), who disclose the cloning and nucleotide sequence of a Btδ-endotoxin gene. Moreover, DNA molecules encoding. δ-endotoxin genescan be purchased from American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, Va.,for example, under ATCC Accession Nos. 40098, 67136, 31995, and 31998.

4. A lectin. See, for example, the disclosure by Van Damme, et al.,Plant Molec. Biol., 24:25 (1994), who disclose the nucleotide sequencesof several Clivia miniata mannose-binding lectin genes.

5. A vitamin-binding protein such as avidin. See PCT Application No. US93/06487. The application teaches the use of avidin and avidinhomologues as larvicides against insect pests.

6. An enzyme inhibitor, for example, a protease or proteinase inhibitoror an amylase inhibitor. See, for example, Abe, et al., J. Biol. Chem.,262:16793 (1987) (nucleotide sequence of rice cysteine proteinaseinhibitor); Huub, et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 21:985 (1993) (nucleotidesequence of cDNA encoding tobacco proteinase inhibitor I); Sumitani, etal., Biosci. Biotech. Biochem., 57:1243 (1993) (nucleotide sequence ofStreptomyces nitrosporeus α-amylase inhibitor); and U.S. Pat. No.5,494,813 (Hepher and Atkinson, issued Feb. 27, 1996).

7. An insect-specific hormone or pheromone, such as an ecdysteroid andjuvenile hormone, a variant thereof, a mimetic based thereon, or anantagonist or agonist thereof. See, for example, the disclosure byHammock, et al., Nature, 344:458 (1990), of baculovirus expression ofcloned juvenile hormone esterase, an inactivator of juvenile hormone.

8. An insect-specific peptide or neuropeptide which, upon expression,disrupts the physiology of the affected pest. For example, see thedisclosures of Regan, J. Biol. Chem., 1851:9 (1994) (expression cloningyields DNA coding for insect diuretic hormone receptor) and Pratt, etal., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 163:1243 (1989) (an allostatin isidentified in Diploptera puntata). See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,317 toTomalski, et al., who disclose genes encoding insect-specific, paralyticneurotoxins.

9. An insect-specific venom produced in nature by a snake, a wasp, etc.For example, see Pang, et al., Gene, 116:165 (1992), for disclosure ofheterologous expression in plants of a gene coding for a scorpioninsectotoxic peptide.

10. An enzyme responsible for a hyper-accumulation of a monoterpene, asesquiterpene, a steroid, a hydroxamic acid, a phenylpropanoidderivative, or another non-protein molecule with insecticidal activity.

11. An enzyme involved in the modification, including thepost-translational modification, of a biologically active molecule. Forexample, a glycolytic enzyme, a proteolytic enzyme, a lipolytic enzyme,a nuclease, a cyclase, a transaminase, an esterase, a hydrolase, aphosphatase, a kinase, a phosphorylase, a polymerase, an elastase, achitinase, and a glucanase, whether natural or synthetic. See PCTApplication No. WO 93/02197 in the name of Scott, et al., whichdiscloses the nucleotide sequence of a callase gene. DNA molecules whichcontain chitinase-encoding sequences can be obtained, for example, fromthe ATCC under Accession Nos. 39637 and 67152. See also, Kramer, et al.,Insect Biochem. Molec. Biol., 23:691 (1993), who teach the nucleotidesequence of a cDNA encoding tobacco hornworm chitinase, and Kawalleck,et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 21:673 (1993), who provide the nucleotidesequence of the parsley ubi4-2 polyubiquitin gene.

12. A molecule that stimulates signal transduction. For example, see thedisclosure by Botella, et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 24:757 (1994), ofnucleotide sequences for mung bean calmodulin cDNA clones and Griess, etal., Plant Physiol., 104:1467 (1994), who provide the nucleotidesequence of a maize calmodulin cDNA clone.

13. A hydrophobic moment peptide. See PCT Application No. WO 95/16776(disclosure of peptide derivatives of Tachyplesin which inhibit fungalplant pathogens) and PCT Application No. WO 95/18855 (teaches syntheticantimicrobial peptides that confer disease resistance).

14. A membrane permease, a channel former or a channel blocker. Forexample, see the disclosure of Jaynes, et al., Plant Sci., 89:43 (1993),of heterologous expression of a cecropin-β-lytic peptide analog torender transgenic tobacco plants resistant to Pseudomonas solanacearum.

15. A viral-invasive protein or a complex toxin derived therefrom. Forexample, the accumulation of viral coat proteins in transformed plantcells imparts resistance to viral infection and/or disease developmenteffected by the virus from which the coat protein gene is derived, aswell as by related viruses. See, Beachy, et al., Ann. Rev. Phytopathol.,28:451 (1990). Coat protein-mediated resistance has been conferred upontransformed plants against alfalfa mosaic virus, cucumber mosaic virus,tobacco streak virus, potato virus X, potato virus Y, tobacco etchvirus, tobacco rattle virus and tobacco mosaic virus. Id.

16. An insect-specific antibody or an immunotoxin derived therefrom.Thus, an antibody targeted to a critical metabolic function in theinsect gut would inactivate an affected enzyme, killing the insect. See,Taylor, et al., Abstract #497, Seventh Intl Symposium on MolecularPlant-Microbe Interactions (Edinburgh, Scotland) (1994) (enzymaticinactivation in transgenic tobacco via production of single-chainantibody fragments).

17. A virus-specific antibody. See, for example, Tavladoraki, et al.,Nature, 366:469 (1993), who show that transgenic plants expressingrecombinant antibody genes are protected from virus attack.

18. A developmental-arrestive protein produced in nature by a pathogenor a parasite. Thus, fungal endo-α-1,4-D-polygalacturonases facilitatefungal colonization and plant nutrient release by solubilizing plantcell wall homo-α-1,4-D-galacturonase. See, Lamb, et al., Bio/technology,10:1436 (1992). The cloning and characterization of a gene which encodesa bean endopolygalacturonase-inhibiting protein is described by Toubart,et al., Plant J., 2:367 (1992).

19. A developmental-arrestive protein produced in nature by a plant. Forexample, Logemann, et al., Bio/technology, 10:305 (1992), have shownthat transgenic plants expressing the barley ribosome-inactivating genehave an increased resistance to fungal disease.

B. Genes that Confer Resistance to an Herbicide:

1. An herbicide that inhibits the growing point or meristem, such as animidazolinone or a sulfonylurea. Exemplary genes in this category codefor mutant ALS and AHAS enzyme as described, for example, by Lee, etal., EMBO J., 7:1241 (1988), and Miki, et al., Theor. Appl. Genet.,80:449 (1990), respectively. Other herbicides such as dicamba increaseplant growth.

2. Glyphosate (resistance conferred by mutant5-enolpyruvlshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) and aroA genes,respectively) and other phosphono compounds such as glufosinate(phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (PAT) and Streptomyceshygroscopicus PAT bar genes), and pyridinoxy or phenoxy proprionic acidsand cyclohexones (ACCase inhibitor-encoding genes). See, for example,U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,835 to Shah, et al., which discloses the nucleotidesequence of a form of EPSP which can confer glyphosate resistance. A DNAmolecule encoding a mutant aroA gene can be obtained under ATCCAccession No. 39256, and the nucleotide sequence of the mutant gene isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,061 to Comai. European PatentApplication No. 0 333 033 to Kumada, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,374to Goodman, et al., disclose nucleotide sequences of glutaminesynthetase genes which confer resistance to herbicides such asL-phosphinothricin or cyclohexanedione. The nucleotide sequence of a PATgene is provided in European Application No. 0 242 246 to Leemans, etal. DeGreef, et al., Bio/technology, 7:61 (1989), describe theproduction of transgenic plants that express chimeric bar genes codingfor PAT activity. Exemplary of genes conferring resistance to phenoxyproprionic acids and cyclohexones, such as sethoxydim and haloxyfop arethe Accl-S1, Accl-S2, and Accl-S3 genes described by Marshall, et al.,Theor. Appl. Genet., 83:435 (1992).

3. An herbicide that inhibits photosynthesis, such as a triazine (psbAand gs+ genes) bromoxynil or a benzonitrile (nitrilase gene). Przibila,et al., Plant Cell, 3:169 (1991), describe the transformation ofChlamydomonas with plasmids encoding mutant psbA genes. Nucleotidesequences for nitrilase genes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,648to Stalker, and DNA molecules containing these genes are available underATCC Accession Nos. 53435, 67441, and 67442. Cloning and expression ofDNA coding for a glutathione S-transferase is described by Hayes, etal., Biochem. J., 285:173 (1992).

C. Genes that Confer or Contribute to a Value-Added Trait, Such as:

1. Modified fatty acid metabolism, for example, by transforming a plantwith an antisense gene of stearyl-ACP desaturase to increase stearicacid content of the plant. See Knultzon, et al., PNAS, 89:2624 (1992).

2. Decreased phytate content: (a) Introduction of a phytase-encodinggene would enhance breakdown of phytate, adding more free phosphate tothe transformed plant. See, for example, Van Hartingsveldt, et al.,Gene, 127:87 (1993), for a disclosure of the nucleotide sequence of anAspergillus niger phytase gene; and (b) A gene could be introduced thatreduced phytate content. For example, in maize, this could beaccomplished by cloning and then reintroducing DNA associated with thesingle allele, which is responsible for maize mutants characterized bylow levels of phytic acid. See, Raboy, et al., Maydica, 35:383 (1990).

3. Modified carbohydrate composition effected, for example, bytransforming plants with a gene coding for an enzyme that alters thebranching pattern of starch. See, Shiroza, et al., J. Bacteol., 170:810(1988) (nucleotide sequence of Streptococcus mutantsfructosyltransferase gene); Steinmetz, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 20:220(1985) (nucleotide sequence of Bacillus subtilis levansucrase gene);Pen, et al., Bio/technology, 10:292 (1992) (production of transgenicplants that express Bacillus lichenformis α-amylase); Elliot, et al.,Plant Molec. Biol., 21:515 (1993) (nucleotide sequences of tomatoinvertase genes); Sorgaard, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 268:22480 (1993)(site-directed mutagenesis of barley α-amylase gene); and Fisher, etal., Plant Physiol., 102:1045 (1993) (maize endosperm starch branchingenzyme II).

4. Modified fiber characteristics, such as fiber quality representanother example of a trait that may be modified in cotton varieties. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 6,472,588 describes transgenic cotton plantstransformed with a sucrose phosphate synthase nucleic acid to alterfiber characteristics such as strength, length, fiber fineness, fibermaturity ratio, immature fiber content, fiber uniformity, andmicronaire. Cotton plants comprising one or more genes coding for anenzyme selected from the group consisting of endoxyloglucan transferase,catalase and peroxidase for the improvement of cotton fibercharacteristics are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,022. Cottonfiber modification using ovary-tissue transcriptional factorspreferentially directing gene expression in ovary tissue, particularlyin very early fruit development, utilized to express genes encodingisopentenyl transferase in cotton ovule tissue and modify thecharacteristics of boll set in cotton plants and alter fiber qualitycharacteristics including fiber dimension and strength is discussed inU.S. Pat. No. 6,329,570. A gene controlling the fiber formationmechanism in cotton plants is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,174.Genes involved in lignin biosynthesis are described in U.S. Pat. No.5,451,514.

Methods for Cotton Transformation

Numerous methods for plant transformation have been developed, includingbiological and physical, plant transformation protocols. See, forexample, Mild, et al., “Procedures for Introducing Foreign DNA intoPlants” in Methods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Glickand Thompson (Eds.), CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, pp. 67-88 (1993). Inaddition, expression vectors and in vitro culture methods for plant cellor tissue transformation and regeneration of plants are available. See,for example, Gruber, et al., “Vectors for Plant Transformation” inMethods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Glick and Thompson(Eds.), CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, pp. 89-119 (1993).

A. Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation:

One method for introducing an expression vector into plants is based onthe natural transformation system of Agrobacterium. See, for example,Horsch, et al., Science, 227:1229 (1985). A. tumefaciens and A.rhizogenes are plant pathogenic soil bacteria, which geneticallytransform plant cells. The Ti and Ri plasmids of A. tumefaciens and A.rhizogenes, respectively, carry genes responsible for genetictransformation of the plant. See, for example, Kado, C. I., Crit. Rev.Plant Sci., 10:1 (1991). Descriptions of Agrobacterium vector systemsand methods for Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer are provided byGruber, et al., supra, Miki, et al., supra, and Moloney, et al., PlantCell Rep., 8:238 (1989). See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,055 (Townsend andThomas), issued Oct. 8, 1996.

B. Direct Gene Transfer:

Several methods of plant transformation, collectively referred to asdirect gene transfer, have been developed as an alternative toAgrobacterium-mediated transformation. A generally applicable method ofplant transformation is microprojectile-mediated transformation whereinDNA is carried on the surface of microprojectiles measuring 1 μm to 4μm. The expression vector is introduced into plant tissues with abiolistic device that accelerates the microprojectiles to speeds of 300m/s to 600 m/s which is sufficient to penetrate plant cell walls andmembranes. Sanford, et al., Part. Sci. Technol., 5:27 (1987); Sanford,J. C., Trends Biotech., 6:299 (1988); Klein, et al., Bio/technology,6:559-563 (1988); Sanford, J. C., Physiol Plant, 7:206 (1990); Klein, etal., Bio/technology, 10:268 (1992). See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,580(Christou, et al.), issued May 14, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,783 (Tomes,et al.), issued Jun. 21, 1994.

Another method for physical delivery of DNA to plants is sonication oftarget cells. Zhang, et al., Bio/technology, 9:996 (1991).Alternatively, liposome and spheroplast fusion have been used tointroduce expression vectors into plants. Deshayes, et al., EMBO J.,4:2731 (1985); Christou, et al., PNAS, 84:3962 (1987). Direct uptake ofDNA into protoplasts using CaCl₂ precipitation, polyvinyl alcohol, orpoly-L-ornithine has also been reported. Hain, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet.,199:161 (1985) and Draper, et al., Plant Cell Physiol. 23:451 (1982).Electroporation of protoplasts and whole cells and tissues has also beendescribed. Donn, et al., In Abstracts of VIIth International Congress onPlant Cell and Tissue Culture IAPTC, A2-38, p. 53 (1990); D'Halluin, etal., Plant Cell, 4:1495-1505 (1992); and Spencer, et al., Plant Mol.Biol., 24:51-61 (1994).

Following transformation of cotton target tissues, expression of theabove-described selectable marker genes allows for preferentialselection of transformed cells, tissues, and/or plants, usingregeneration and selection methods now well known in the art.

The foregoing methods for transformation would typically be used forproducing a transgenic variety. The transgenic variety could then becrossed, with another (non-transformed or transformed) variety, in orderto produce a new transgenic variety. Alternatively, a genetic traitwhich has been engineered into a particular cotton cultivar using theforegoing transformation techniques could be moved into another cultivarusing traditional backcrossing techniques that are well known in theplant breeding arts. For example, a backcrossing approach could be usedto move an engineered trait from a public, non-elite variety into anelite variety, or from a variety containing a foreign gene in its genomeinto a variety or varieties, which do not contain that gene. As usedherein, “crossing” can refer to a simple X by Y cross, or the process ofbackcrossing, depending on the context.

C. Single-Gene Conversion

When the term “cotton plant” is used in the context of the presentinvention, this also includes any single gene conversions of thatvariety. The term “single gene converted plant” as used herein refers tothose cotton plants, which are developed by a plant breeding technique,called backcrossing wherein essentially all of the desired morphologicaland physiological characteristics of a variety are recovered in additionto the single gene transferred into the variety via the backcrossingtechnique. Backcrossing methods can be used with the present inventionto improve or introduce a characteristic into the variety. The term“backcrossing” as used herein refers to the repeated crossing of ahybrid progeny back to the recurrent parent, i.e., backcrossing 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or more times to the recurrent parent. The parentalcotton plant which contributes the gene for the desired characteristicis termed the “nonrecurrent” or “donor parent”. This terminology refersto the fact that the nonrecurrent parent is used one time in thebackcross protocol and therefore does not recur. The parental cottonplant to which the gene or genes from the nonrecurrent parent aretransferred is known as the recurrent parent as it is used for severalrounds in the backcrossing protocol (Poehlman & Sleper (1994); Fehr(1987)). In a typical backcross protocol, the original variety ofinterest (recurrent parent) is crossed to a second variety (nonrecurrentparent) that carries the single gene of interest to be transferred. Theresulting progeny from this cross are then crossed again to therecurrent parent and the process is repeated until a cotton plant isobtained wherein essentially all of the desired morphological andphysiological characteristics of the recurrent parent are recovered inthe converted plant, in addition to the single transferred gene from thenonrecurrent parent, as determined at the 5% significance level whengrown in the same environmental conditions.

The selection of a suitable recurrent parent is an important step for asuccessful backcrossing procedure. The goal of a backcross protocol isto alter or substitute a single trait or characteristic in the originalvariety. To accomplish this, a single gene of the recurrent variety ismodified or substituted with the desired gene from the nonrecurrentparent, while retaining essentially all of the rest of the desiredgenetic, and therefore the desired physiological and morphological,constitution of the original variety. The choice of the particularnonrecurrent parent will depend on the purpose of the backcross. One ofthe major purposes is to add some commercially desirable, agronomicallyimportant trait to the plant. The exact backcrossing protocol willdepend on the characteristic or trait being altered to determine anappropriate testing protocol. Although backcrossing methods aresimplified when the characteristic being transferred is a dominantallele, a recessive allele may also be transferred. In this instance itmay be necessary to introduce a test of the progeny to determine if thedesired characteristic has been successfully transferred.

Many single gene traits have been identified that are not regularlyselected for in the development of a new variety but that can beimproved by backcrossing techniques. Single gene traits may or may notbe transgenic. Examples of these traits include but are not limited to,male sterility, waxy starch, herbicide resistance, resistance forbacterial, fungal, or viral disease, insect resistance, male fertility,enhanced nutritional quality, industrial usage, yield stability, andyield enhancement. These genes are generally inherited through thenucleus. Several of these single gene traits are described in U.S. Pat.Nos. 5,959,185; 5,973,234; and 5,977,445, the disclosures of which arespecifically hereby incorporated by reference.

Further reproduction of the variety can occur by tissue culture andregeneration. Tissue culture of various tissues of cotton andregeneration of plants therefrom is well known and widely published. Forexample, reference may be had to Komatsuda, T., et al., Crop Sci.,31:333-337 (1991); Stephens, P. A., et al., Theor. Appl. Genet.,82:633-635 (1991); Komatsuda, T., et al., Plant Cell, Tissue and OrganCulture, 28:103-113 (1992); Dhir, S., et al. Plant Cell Rep., 11:285-289(1992); Pandey, P., et al., Japan J. Breed., 42:1-5 (1992); and Shetty,K., et al., Plant Science, 81:245-251 (1992); as well as U.S. Pat. No.5,024,944 issued Jun. 18, 1991 to Collins, et al., and U.S. Pat. No.5,008,200 issued Apr. 16, 1991 to Ranch, et al. Thus, another aspect ofthis invention is to provide cells which upon growth and differentiationproduce cotton plants having the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of cotton cultivar L-1851.

As used herein, the term “tissue culture” indicates a compositioncomprising isolated cells of the same or a different type or acollection of such cells organized into parts of a plant. Exemplarytypes of tissue cultures are protoplasts, calli, plant clumps, and plantcells that can generate tissue culture that are intact in plants orparts of plants, such as embryos, pollen, flowers, seeds, leaves, stems,roots, root tips, anthers, pistils, and the like. Means for preparingand maintaining plant tissue culture are well known in the art. By wayof example, a tissue culture comprising organs has been used to produceregenerated plants. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,959,185; 5,973,234; and 5,977,445,described certain techniques.

This invention also is directed to methods for producing a cotton plantby crossing a first parent cotton plant with a second parent cottonplant wherein the first or second parent cotton plant is a cotton plantof the cultivar L-1851. Further, both first and second parent cottonplants can come from the cotton cultivar L-1851. Additionally, the firstor second parent cotton plants can be either Gossypium hirsutum orGossypium barbadense, or any other cotton plant. Thus, any such methodsusing the cotton cultivar L-1851 are part of this invention: selling,backcrosses, hybrid production, crosses to populations, and the like.All plants produced using cotton cultivar L-1851 as a parent are withinthe scope of this invention, including those developed from varietiesderived from cotton cultivar L-1851. Advantageously, the cotton cultivarcould be used in crosses with other, different, cotton plants to producefirst generation (F₁) cotton hybrid seeds and plants with superiorcharacteristics. The other, different, cotton plants may be Gossypiumhirsutum or Gossypium barbadense or another cotton cultivar. Thecultivar of the invention can also be used for transformation whereexogenous genes are introduced and expressed by the cultivar of theinvention. Genetic variants created either through traditional breedingmethods using cultivar L-1851 or through transformation of L-1851 by anyof a number of protocols known to those of skill in the art are intendedto be within the scope of this invention.

The following describes breeding methods that may be used with cultivarL-1851 in the development of further cotton plants. One such embodimentis a method for developing a L-1851 progeny cotton plant in a cottonplant breeding program comprising: obtaining the cotton plant, or a partthereof, of cultivar L-1851, utilizing said plant or plant part as asource of breeding material, and selecting a L-1851 progeny plant withmolecular markers in common with L-1851 and/or with morphological and/orphysiological characteristics selected from the characteristics listedin Tables 1, 2, 3, or 4. Breeding steps that may be used in the cottonplant breeding program include pedigree breeding, backcrossing, mutationbreeding, and recurrent selection. In conjunction with these steps,techniques such as RFLP-enhanced selection, genetic marker enhancedselection (for example, SSR markers), and the making of double haploidsmay be utilized.

Another method involves producing a population of cultivar L-1851progeny cotton plants, comprising crossing cultivar L-1851 with anothercotton plant, thereby producing a population of cotton plants, which, onaverage, derive 50% of their alleles from cultivar L-1851. The othercotton plant may be Gossypium hirsutum or Gossypium barbadense or anyother cotton plant. A plant of this population may be selected andrepeatedly selfed or sibbed with a cotton cultivar resulting from thesesuccessive filial generations. One embodiment of this invention is thecotton cultivar produced by this method and that has obtained at least50% of its alleles from cultivar L-1851.

One of ordinary skill in the art of plant breeding would know how toevaluate the traits of two plant varieties to determine if there is nosignificant difference between the two traits expressed by thosevarieties. For example, see Fehr and Walt, Principles of CultivarDevelopment, pp. 261-286 (1987). Thus the invention includes cottoncultivar L-1851 progeny cotton plants comprising a combination of atleast two L-1851 traits selected from the group consisting of thoselisted in Tables 1, 2, 3, or 4 or the L-1851 combination of traitslisted in the Summary, so that said progeny cotton plant is notsignificantly different for said traits than cotton cultivar L-1851 asdetermined at the 5% significance level when grown in the sameenvironment. Using techniques described herein, molecular markers may beused to identify said progeny plant as a L-1851 progeny plant. Meantrait values may be used to determine whether trait differences aresignificant, and the traits are measured on plants grown under the sameenvironmental conditions. Once such a variety is developed its value issubstantial since it is important to advance the germplasm base as awhole in order to maintain or improve traits such as yield, diseaseresistance, pest resistance, and plant performance in extremeenvironmental conditions.

Progeny of cultivar L-1851 may also be characterized through theirfilial relationship with cotton cultivar L-1851, as for example, beingwithin a certain number of breeding crosses of cotton cultivar L-1851. Abreeding cross is a cross made to introduce new genetics into theprogeny, and is distinguished from a cross, such as a self or a sibcross, made to select among existing genetic alleles. The lower thenumber of breeding crosses in the pedigree, the closer the relationshipbetween cotton cultivar L-1851 and its progeny. For example, progenyproduced by the methods described herein may be within 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5breeding crosses of cotton cultivar L-1851.

As used herein, the term “plant” includes plant cells, plantprotoplasts, plant cell tissue cultures from which cotton plants can beregenerated, plant calli, plant clumps, and plant cells that are intactin plants or parts of plants, such as embryos, pollen, boll, ovules,flowers, leaves, roots, root tips, anthers, pistils, and the like.

DEPOSIT INFORMATION

A deposit of the cotton variety named L-1851 disclosed above and recitedin the appended claims has been made with the National Collections ofIndustrial, Food and Marine Bacteria (NCIMB), NCIMB Ltd., FergusonBuilding, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9YA, Scotland, UK.The date of deposit was Apr. 24, 2012. The deposit of 2,500 seeds wastaken from the same deposit maintained by House of Agriculture SpirouAEBE, since prior to the filing date of this application. Allrestrictions upon the deposit have been removed, and the deposit isintended to meet all of the requirements of 37 C.F.R. §1.801-1.809. TheNCIMB accession number is NCIMB No. 41963. The deposit will bemaintained in the depository for a period of 30 years, or 5 years afterthe last request, or for the effective life of the patent, whichever islonger, and will be replaced as necessary during that period.

While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussedabove, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications,permutations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof. It is thereforeintended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter areinterpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions,and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope.

1. A seed of cotton cultivar L-1851, wherein a representative sample ofseed of said cultivar was deposited under NCIMB No.41963.
 2. A cottonplant, or a regenerable part thereof, produced by growing the seed ofclaim
 1. 3. A tissue culture of cells produced from the plant of claim2, wherein said cells of the tissue culture are produced from a plantpart chosen from leaves, pollen, boll, embryos, cotyledons, hypocotyl,meristematic cells, roots, root tips, pistils, anthers, flowers, andstems.
 4. A protoplast produced from the plant of claim
 2. 5. Aprotoplast produced from the tissue culture of claim
 3. 6. A cottonplant regenerated from the tissue culture of claim 3, wherein the planthas all of the morphological and physiological characteristics ofcultivar L-1851 listed in Table 1, wherein a representative sample ofseed was deposited under NCIMB No.
 41963. 7. A method for producing anF₁ hybrid cotton seed, wherein the method comprises crossing the plantof claim 2 with a different cotton plant and harvesting the resultant F₁hybrid cotton seed.
 8. A hybrid cotton seed produced by the method ofclaim
 7. 9. A hybrid cotton plant, or a regenerable part thereof,produced by growing said hybrid seed of claim
 8. 10. A method ofproducing an herbicide resistant cotton plant, wherein the methodcomprises transforming the cotton plant of claim 2 with a transgenewherein the transgene confers resistance to an herbicide chosen fromglyphosate, sulfonylurea, imidazolinone, dicamba, glufosinate, phenoxyproprionic acid, cyclohexanedione, L-phosphinothricin, triazine,benzonitrile, and bromoxynil.
 11. An herbicide resistant cotton plantproduced by the method of claim
 10. 12. A method of producing an insectresistant cotton plant, wherein the method comprises transforming thecotton plant of claim 2 with a transgene that confers insect resistance.13. An insect resistant cotton plant produced by the method of claim 12.14. The cotton plant of claim 13, wherein the transgene encodes aBacillus thuringiensis endotoxin.
 15. A method of producing a diseaseresistant cotton plant, wherein the method comprises transforming thecotton plant of claim 2 with a transgene that confers diseaseresistance.
 16. A disease resistant cotton plant produced by the methodof claim
 15. 17. A method of introducing a desired trait into cottoncultivar L-1851, wherein the method comprises: (a) crossing a L-1851plant, wherein a representative sample of seed was deposited under NCIMBNo.41963, with a plant of another cotton cultivar that comprises adesired trait to produce progeny plants wherein the desired trait isselected from the group consisting of male sterility, herbicideresistance, insect resistance, modified fatty acid metabolism, modifiedcarbohydrate metabolism, modified cotton fiber characteristics andresistance to bacterial disease, fungal disease or viral disease; (b)selecting one or more progeny plants that have the desired trait toproduce selected progeny plants; (c) crossing the selected progenyplants with the L-1851 plants to produce backcross progeny plants; (d)selecting for backcross progeny plants that have the desired trait andthe physiological and morphological characteristics of cotton cultivarL-1851 listed in Table 1 to produce selected backcross progeny plants;and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) two or more times in succession toproduce selected fourth or higher backcross progeny plants that comprisethe desired trait and the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of cotton cultivar L-1851 listed in Table
 1. 18. Acotton plant produced by the method of claim 17, wherein the plant hasthe desired trait and all of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of cotton cultivar L-1851 listed in Table
 1. 19. Thecotton plant of claim 18, wherein the desired trait is herbicideresistance and the resistance is conferred to an herbicide chosen fromglyphosate, sulfonylurea, imidazolinone, dicamba, glufosinate, phenoxyproprionic acid, cyclohexanedione, L-phosphinothricin, triazine,benzonitrile, and bromoxynil.
 20. The cotton plant of claim 18, whereinthe desired trait is insect resistance and the insect resistance isconferred by a transgene encoding a Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxin.